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TV News Reporting and Production MCM 516

LESSON 08

SELECTION OF REQUIRED CONTENT AND TALENT

After finalizing and idea, making the budget, getting the script, studying rather digesting it, next comes

the casting for the programme and we all know that talent hunt is a difficult job as to find the right

person for the right job is always challenging.

The producer has to be very keen at he stage of casting because the good acting or performance

removes, from the minds of audience any remoteness and must cause them to perceive living

personalities enacting a portion of life.

The performance of any actor must give the character meaning so the actor or artist must be accurately

chosen.

A poor cast can ruin a very good script and a poor script may sometimes be made into a fairly decent

show with carefully chosen performers, artistically blended.

The casting committee is concerned of two things:

What comes out at the screen?

What happens in the minds of viewer?

In the television either public or private sector productions now a days there are only contract actors are

available, although there are staff artist in radio. A producer can choose from existing artists, or if he/she

has time so auditions can be arranged for the fresh faces and new talent.

If a dramatic director does not know his potential coast, it is wise for one to hold auditions or tryouts.

He/she will carefully select the artists as per characters, keeping in mind, the audition may play their

part in casting a play, they are never wholly satisfactory because;

Actors never feels that he/she has done the best and

Director never knows what an actor can do until he/she has seen them in a play or performance.

It is best to cast an artist by watching him/her on screen with proper make-up, makeover and getup with

original lines and dialogues.

The director watches following things for the flexibility of performance

Displaying an understanding of lines

Varying speed according to material

Expressing emotions without shouting

Giving expressions, stresses and pauses

Throwing cue lines to co-artists

Delivering the dialogue in true spirit

In casting it is best to watch the talent on screen or monitor not in studio or the office unless he knows

his artist very well, he should try many. The actor should not read the script merely; they should deliver

the dialogues as emotions full of expressions.

Having decided upon the selection of the artists, the producer should fix the time of rehearsals,

which include:

Simple rehearsal

Dry rehearsal

Camera rehearsal

Full rehearsal

Final rehearsal

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TV News Reporting and Production MCM 516

It is good to distribute a copy of script to each performer, if they retain it they can thoroughly familiarize

with the characters they are to portray and also gain an idea of the whole drama, knowing the show well.

The artist will be able to give more intelligent reading of their lines and thus time will be saved in

rehearsals.

Since a producer has to work against time, each bit of time saved is valuable to him and to the channel

or organization he is working for.

Each actor underlines the character whose part he takes, each time it appears and if the speech is carried

over the next page, "more" is written at the bottom of the page, however every effort should be made by

the writer or the script typist to complete it within the page and next lines be written ob next pages.

First rehearsal is generally quite informal, merely reading the script without the microphone or the

camera. The director explains his idea of the script and tells the cast the effect he wishes to create. The

director should encourage the artist to interpret the part he or she has been assigned. He will guide the

actors but avoid dictating them the characterization. He gives the cast the picture as he desires it and

places them the responsibility of the achievement.

Dry rehearsal is in the studio, on the set or location with the talk back microphones, signals by the

floor manager and director makes further suggestions about the characterization, interpretation,

pronunciation and enunciation.

Camera rehearsal is for the placement and movement of cameras and all the instruments and apparatus

in place. Members of the play or show know their parts and duties.

Time management is also done in rehearsals. For ease a director can keep stopwatch to measure the pace

and tempo.

Final rehearsal is one before the recording but prior to that a director has fairly accurate timing of the

programme and he knows which part can be eliminated with out loss to the performance and story, so

the director can time each page of the script, writing down the exact time at the bottom pf each page.

The detailed timing is necessary for the perfect control of the time element while the programme is

being recorded.

It is good idea to cut a script down for required number of rehearsals and many factors enter in to

determination of answers;

The script itself

The ability of the artists

The amount of time

The degree of difficulty

The efficiency of director

No good director will stop rehearsing until he/she is certain that his show reached the highest degree of

perfection.

Run Through:

Begin a run through of your shots as soon as talent and cameras can get into position. Check all your

shots in the order that they appear in the program. Do this first run through in the studio, as you watch

the studio monitor. Any changes can be noted by your assistant director and incorporated into the first

rehearsal in the control room.

First Rehearsal:

Move into the control room and do your first full rehearsal from there, utilizing camera changes and

other notes that your AD took down during the run through. This will be your first opportunity to time

your production; so conduct a full rehearsal--do not stop for each and every mistake. Your AD can make

note of changes to be made before the next rehearsal.

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TV News Reporting and Production MCM 516

Second Rehearsal:

If you planned properly, your second rehearsal should go smoothly and should be videotaped just in

case this one is a "save". If the taping turns out well, consider this your final take. If it still needs some

fine tuning, go on to the final taping.

Talent: make sure they understand the order of the pgm, make them feel at ease.

Suggestion: Make a check list of all the details that need to be attended to at various times, i.e. the day

before, at setup and rehearsal, and just before rolling tape for the production. Attention to detail and

planning for the unexpected will save you from most disasters. Providing each crew member with a

detailed list of all that is expected from him/her will not only demonstrate your desire for 100% from

that crew member, but it should also make for a smoother production and taping.

Forms

Forms, who needs them? For a medium which depends so heavily on images and sounds, you'll soon

find that there is a lot of emphasis on print--specifically forms to organize your thinking and working.

There seems to be a form for every occasion. From talent releases, to script paper and storyboards, to

FAX requests.

I know what you're already thinking:

You're told that forms must be filled out, but you have a sneaky suspicion that nobody will ever read

them.

Forms slow you down. In the time that it takes to get through the paperwork, you could have completed

the project.

While there may be grains of truth in the above sentiments, reality is that forms are necessary for

efficient communication, teamwork, and for the organization of your thoughts and work. They force you

to plan more carefully, to consider other options, and to approach the task more logically.

While forms will change over time and from city to city, market to market, get used to them because

you'll be seeing some variation of them for as long as you're in the biz!

NOTE: Blank forms will be provided for your use. Please photocopy them before using and retain the

master, working only from your copies.

Talent Release Form

The talent release (sometimes called consent and release) form is a legal document that once signed

gives the television station or production company the right or permission to use the name, voice, and/or

picture of the person signing the form. A properly signed form prohibits the signer from later stopping

the broadcaster/producer from using the material, or from suing the same for its use. Following is a

fairly generic example of a talent release form. One thing that should be noted--the more general the

form the more likely that one form can be used for multiple applications. However, the more specific

the form the more likely that it will hold up in court if challenged.

Talent Release Form

Talent Name: ___________________________ (please print)

Project Title: ___________________________

For value received and without further consideration, I hereby consent to the use of all photographs,

videotapes or film, taken of me and/or recordings made of my voice and/or written extractions, in whole

or in part, of such recordings or musical performance

On _______________________ 19 ____

(Month) (Day) (Year)

by ________________________, representing (insert production company/station here) and/or others

with its consent, for the purposes of illustration, advertising, or publication in any manner.

Talent Name________________________________________ (signature)

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TV News Reporting and Production MCM 516

Address:

________________________________________________________________________________

Date: ________/_______/________

If the subject is a minor under the laws of the state where modeling, acting, or performing is done:

Guardian: ____________________________ (please print)

Guardian: ____________________________ (signature)

Address:

________________________________________________________________________________

Date: ________/_______/________